Apparatus for producing hydrochloric acid utilizing sludge acid



H. M. LASHER,

' APPARATUS on PRODUCING HYDROCHLORIC ACID unuzme SIUDGE ACID.-

APPLICATION FILED OCT-2,1916.

1,339,519.' 1 "Patented May11,1920

' siding UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

HENRY MICHAEL LASHER, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KANSA CITY 'REFINING COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

I Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented May 11,1920.

Application filed October 711916. Serial No. 124,351.

To all whom it may concern:

Be i' known that I, HnNnYMI onAnL United States, re-" LASHER, a citizen of the at Kansas Cit in the county of Wyandotte, State of certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Hydrochloric Acid Utilizing Sludge Acid, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to the chemical treatment of by-products and especially those re-' sulting from the treatment of hydrocarbon oils, and has for its object the improvement of certain apparatus and methods of operation heretofore employed. This application is a continuation in part of my prior application, Serial'No. 96, 130, filed May 9, 1915, now Patent 1,309,206, July 8 1919. In said prior application I have illustrated and described a process for manufacturing hydrochloric acid and by-products from the waste product known as sludge acid.

Sludge acid furic acid in the treatment of hydrocarbon oils to remove asphalt, tarry matters,'sulfur, and other impuritiestherefrom. These impurities enter into combination and form compounds with the sulfuric acid, so that thelatter becomes in turn contaminated orchanged to such a degree that heretofore it As described in my above mentioned prior application, I mix the sludge acid with sodium chlorid, dilute with enough water to liberate the asphalt and tarry. matters, and heat this solution to a temperature not exceeding 284 C.; I then take the resulting hydrochloric acid gas through a purifying tower, containing sodium chlorid and charcoal, and finally conduct it into a receiving tank or absorber containing water in which the gas is absorbed. 1

"In practice I have found that a more perfect absorption of the gas by the water takes place if the gas and water are run through the horizontal absorber in opposite directions, as described in this specification.

The drawing shows a diagrammatic sectional view of the apparatus employed using the improved absorbing apparatus. Referring to the drawing, represents a ansas, have invented results from the use of sul-.

lead lined panor receptacle, the top of which 1s closed by anacid proof tile arch 2, closed except for doors 3, used for the purpose of filling container. 1. This combination forms a still, supported upon'the brick walls 4 by means ofears 5 in the usual manner, said walls inclosing a furnace 6 by means of 'whichheat may be applied to the pan or receptacle 1. At the bottom of the pan a drain pipe 7 is provided with a plug 8controlled preferably from above as, for example, by means of a resistant rope or chain 9. This drainis used to draw off the residuum at the end of each run. Entering the still through the sides, and with ends above the pan 1, are two'feed pipes 10 and 11, the

first, of which is used to convey water into the still, and the second to convey the sludge acid. Each of these pipes is provided with a suitable cut-off valve, and they may lead from storage tanks or other suitable sources of supply, so as to raise the efliciency of operation, and make it as nearly continuous as possible.

Leading out-of the upper part of the still is the acid-proof tile pipe 12 through which the gases are conducted to the purifying tower '13. This tower is composed of acid-' proof tile with inlet 14 at the bottom and outlet 15 at the top. It is divided in any suitable manner, as by means of acid resisting screens 36 and 37, into three chambers 38, 39, and 40. The chamber 38 is vacant, and is provided at the bottom with a drain pipe 31 fitted with a suitable cock. This chamber 38 catches all impurities which are precipitated from the upper purifying chambers 39 and 40. The chamber 39 is packed with lumps of sodium chlorid and has the upper part left clear. This is necessary in order to prevent impurities which have been taken out by the medium in chamber 39 from being carried up into chamber 40 by means of capillary attraction. Chamber 40 also is preferably provided with a clear upper space, although this depends somewhatupon the arrangement of the outlet 15, the object being to prevent impurities from being carried over into the outlet pipe.

The vertical pipe 16 is connected to the outlet 15 at its upper end, and to the tank 17 and the primary absorber 18 at its lower end. The absorber 18 is fitted with bafile plates or partitions 19 and 20 extending also related to each other that liquid flowing through the absorber will beforced to pass up and down betweenthe battles, and gas flowing through the same compartments will be forced down against the liquid so that the gas and liquid will, be brought into intimate contact with each other. Passage 21 connects the primary absorber 18"to a secondary absorber, the absorbing tower 22, which is filled with small pieces of acid proof earthenware, supported upon the acid-resisting screen 23. Water is introduced through the pipe 24- and spra 25 controlled by valve 26 into. the top 0 the chamber 22 through which it trickles down over the surface of the pieces of earthen-J ware. Upon reaching the bottom-of the tower 22 the dilute acid flows through the" absorber 18 which empties into tank 17. The U-trap 27 allows the liquid to overflow into storage tank 28.

It should be noted that to secure the action described the lower edges of the upper or gas bafiies must notextend more than one-eighth or one-quarter of an inch below the level of the upper edges of the 'lower or 1i uid bafiies.

he operation-of this apparatus is as follows:

Thesludge acid is mixed with sodium chlorid in the proportion of fifty per cent. acid to fifty per cent. sodium chlorid, and this mixture is then' diluted with ten per cent. water. In making this mixture in pan 1, the pipes 10'and 11 are used to in-:

" troduce the acid and water respectivel and the doors 3 to introduce the sodium ch orid.

' Heat is then produced in the furnace 6 to raise the temperature, ofthe mixturein the container to a point not exceeding the boiling point of sulfuric acid, that is to say 284 C. The addition of the water to themixture causes the asphaltum and-tarry matters to be liberated and to rise to.- the surface of the solutionand floatas a scum thereon. As the hydrochloric acid gas forms it flows through pipe 12 into the cleansing tower 13 through inlet 14. As, the gas rises in tower 13 the impurities arejse' arated out and collect in the bottom chain '1' 38 to be drained off through pipe 31. The purified gas passes through outlet 15I iInt o' ere.

among the bafile plates 19 and 20, the gas in passing under the edges of the upper baffiespushing down the surface of the liquid intermittently or in waves, .without inter-v rupting its general movement over and der the lower and upper baflies, so that the- 7 gas and liquid are intimately mingled with each other to the end that the Soluble hyand retamed 1n sitely extending and alternating .sorber, and a receiving I he gas and acid solution flow 1n counter current.

drochloric acid gas is dissolved in the dilute The solid arrows indicate the direca very large superficial area to the purer water from spray 25 which .trickles down among the. pieces of earthenware in the toweni vWhat isleft of the gas after passing the spray may escape or may be received desiredf The water from the spray 25 passes down through the earthenware into the bottom of the .tower 22, absorbingthe acid as it falls, and thence passes through the passageway '21 into the absorber 18, where it flows among 1. In apparatus for producing hydrochl oric acid solution, a source of hydrochloric-acid gas, a primary absorber connected with-said source and comprising a conduit containing a succession of oppobaflies, a secondary absorption .tower containing fragmentary material in mass, with means to supply .water to the upper part of said mass,

-a bottom chamber for collecting the water as it trickles through said mass, means for any appropriate manner if feeding the water into. the primary absorber; common means for conducting the gas and water to "and from the primary abtank connected to said'-common' conduct1ng means for rethe acid solution.

2. 111- apparatus for producing hydrochloric acid solution, a source of hydrochloric acid fumes, a source of water sup ply, an-acid receiving container, an absorber receiving and passing the acid'fumes in one direction, and water fromfsaid .souree in the opposite direction, whereby the. acid .fumes' 'are brought .into intimate .1818171011 withsaid streams of'water and arejabsorbed thereby, a conduit connectin said source of.

.acid fumes with said absor er,".-a nd means connecting'said'= container with said, conduit between said acid source and said absorber.

3.- In apparatus for producing hydrochlorie, acl

taining baflles, a secondary absorber in the solution, a source of hydro-.

'chloric acid gas, a primary absorber conform of a tower containing fragmentary material in mass with m'eansto supply water to the upper part of said mass and a bottom chamber ..to collect the water draining through said mass, a conduit leading from said hydrochloric acid source, common conducting means for conducting gases from said conduit through the primary absorber to the said bottom chamber and for conducting water from said chamber through the primary absorber to the said conduit, and means forconducting liquids from said conduit.

4. In apparatus for producing hydrochloric acid solution from a source of l] V(lI()(l1l()IlC ac1d gas, comprising a primary absorber containing baffles, a secondary absorber 1n the form of a tower containing fragmentary material, means for-conducting gas from said source and water toward said source 1n said absorbers 1n tandem, and means connected between said source and said primary absorber for trapping ofi' liquids.

5. An absorber comprising a horizontal chamber, common conducting means for continuously directing a gas and a liquid horizontally therethrough in opposite directions, and independent sets of bafiles for the gas and the liquid, the battles for the liquid being situated below the gas baflles.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HENRY MICHAEL LASHER. v 

